Preheat your oven to 375°F. Brush both sides of each flour tortilla lightly with oil. Place a ramekin or oven-safe bowl (roughly 4-5 inches wide) upside down on a baking sheet, then drape an oiled tortilla over it and cover loosely with foil to help shape it. Bake for 5 minutes, then carefully remove the foil and ramekins, leaving the tortilla shells on the baking sheet open-side up. Continue baking for another 5 minutes until the shells firm up slightly. Flip the shells bottom-side up and bake for a final 7-10 minutes until golden and crispy. Remove and set aside to cool—they'll crisp up further as they cool.

While the tortilla bowls bake, prepare all the fresh ingredients. Chop the romaine lettuce into 1-inch ribbons, dice the tomatoes into ½-inch pieces, dice the red onion finely, and chop the cilantro. I like to do all my vegetable prep at once so everything is ready when the meat finishes cooking—it keeps the final assembly quick and smooth. Measure out the olives, cheese, and set everything aside in separate bowls or on a cutting board for easy access.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown the ground beef, breaking it into small pieces as it cooks, about 5-7 minutes. Drain off excess fat carefully. Add the taco seasoning and water, stirring well to coat the beef evenly, and simmer for about 5 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly. Stir in the rinsed black beans and corn, then add the smoked paprika and fresh lime juice. Heat through for another 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure the beans and corn warm evenly. I always add lime juice at the end rather than earlier because it brightens the flavors without cooking off, giving the filling a fresher taste.

Place each cooled tortilla bowl on a plate or shallow bowl for stability. Layer a generous handful of the chopped romaine lettuce into each tortilla bowl, then top with a heaping portion of the warm beef filling from Step 3. Distribute the diced tomatoes, black olives, shredded cheddar cheese, diced red onion, and fresh cilantro evenly over each salad, layering them thoughtfully so each bite will have all the components.

Top each assembled salad with a dollop of sour cream, salsa, and sliced avocado or guacamole according to preference. I prefer fresh sliced avocado over guacamole here because it keeps the fresh, bright flavors of the salad front and center without the extra richness. Serve immediately while the tortilla bowls are still crispy and the meat filling is warm.